The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part One

XVII: 31 October, 1993

"Here we are," Madam Pomfrey said, her voice sing-songy and cheerful as always.

Despite his current haggard state, Remus could not help but be quite thankful for her. In many ways, and on many occasions, he owed the mediwitch his very life, and all of the things that had ever come to be throughout it. If it had not been for Madam Pomfrey, Remus would never have come to Hogwarts in the first place - her gentle aid each month for all those years had been a huge part of the reason why he'd been able to go to the school, and why he had lived through it... even with his condition.

Remus caught her hand as she deposited him gently into the soft chair by the fire place in his office. "Madam Pomfrey..." he started, but she smiled and shook her head, pulling her hand away to gently touch his cheek.

"Now, now," she clucked, "No need for all those sentimental nonsensities... It's no good getting all emotional while your body is so exhausted, after all."

Remus smiled. "As long as you know they are felt. Sincerely."

She nodded and turned away quickly, setting a fire in the floo with a flick of her wand, and with another tucking a thick woolen blanket over Remus's lap. "There we are... Now rest and Severus will be along with your potion for tonight. Don't you dare go and try being off alone by yourself again like that - Jeekers, whatever would Albus say to it if he'd known?! With all that's going on these days... and look at you, all bandaged up. What have you done, let me see and I'll get you mended..." She pulled the bit of cloth from Remus's hand, revealing cuts that had been already coated thickly with healing salve and were quite on the mend already. She raised an eyebrow. "Quite the Healer, aren't you?"

Remus didn't answer. What could he say? That he hadn't been the one to administer the salve? And then what?

Madam Pomfrey clucked about a couple more moments, making sure he was settled, and then left him to sit and rest on his own. As thankful as he was for her, Remus had to admit he was also thankful for the silence that came once she'd left, too, for it afforded him the first moment he had gotten yet to think more clearly through everything.

He lifted up the cloth that his damaged palm had been bandaged with. Gray striped cloth, linen, rough and scratchy, unevenly torn and frayed. He studied it for a long moment, then, "Accio Daily Prophet!" The paper flew from his desk and into his lap.

Sure enough, when he compared the fabric in his hand to the photo on the front page of the paper, it was a perfect match. There was no doubt about it now - not that there had been much doubt in Remus's mind before, but now there was not a single iota of one.

The only question now, then, was where Sirius Black had got off to, and why, if he was as set on finishing off Remus Lupin - or Harry Potter, for that matter - had he not used Lupin's weakened state as an opportunity to get the job done without a fight? Why hadn't he just killed Remus on the spot? Why bandage him up? And where had he got off to after Remus had awakened? Remus had heard the door, after all, but - and he had realized this when Pomfrey had come in the Shack and closed the trap door behind her - be didn't know if Sirius had gone out... or down into the tunnel.

Which meant Sirius could be anywhere. He could be in the school that very moment, could be out in the corridor, sneaking along toward the office door, unnoticed by anyone...

The knock on the door at that very moment gave Remus quite a turn and he nearly fell from his chair in shock. "Who - who's there?!" He was embarrassed that his voice shook slightly.

And why should it? He wasn't even sure any more if he had any reason to be afraid.

Filch's voice came through as he creaked the door opened and stuck his head in. "Delivery for you, sir," he growled.